Soulstealers: The Chinese Sorcery Scare

Philip A. Kuhn presents the socio-psychological aspects of the sorcery scare, which occurred during the last imperial dynasty in China. Kuhn, a Harvard Professor of History and of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, examines the “Prosperous period” and how the effects created a state of uneasiness in both the conscious psychology and economic _***_. In Soulstealers: The Chinese Sorcery Scare of 1768 Kuhn focuses on the social and economic setting of the mid-eighteenth century. Drawing on a precious reposition of documents found in the royal archives, he presents in detail the traumatic interrogations of the accused—a tattered assortment of vagabonds, nomads and Buddhist monks—generalship under torture by rude magistrates. He goes to prove how the “scare” was simply a creation of folktales and concocted imaginations connected to the result of the queue clipping. The queue-clipping crisis allows the reader to understand the social structure and ethnic tensions. Francis …show more content…
The social factors were primarily religion and wealth. Religion was represented by the treatment of the wandering monks, who were accused of attempting to steal the souls of innocent commoners. Hungli was extremely focused on the Buddhist culture, although he did also believe strongly in the ideals of Confucianism. The headdress was a major symbol of religion for the Chinese culture. While having a queue was seen to be very important, having a properly shaved forehead was even more so, if one refused to do so they risked their lives for there was the penalty of death. The socio-economic factors were social positions in relation to others, education, and occupation. The bureaucracy that was in place at the time was very similar to the democracy in the United States. Hungli reigned as the emperor (the President) and under him were governors-general and governors (Senators and